The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-07-07
''THE FARMERS SALLIANCE.D
What IL Mechanic Thinks of It..The Con.
ditiOn OF Crops. &c.


Especial Cor. STATE CIEoNICLE1
HARRISBURG, N. c., June 80, 1851
Your correspondent, after passing to and
fro in the counties of Richmond and Robe
son and the neighborlng county of MARI
borough in South Carolina, is prepared to
report, from personal observation, that
crops are i'll a reasonably favorable condi-
ton. The harvest Of small grain is very
satisfactory, and more rye has been raised
here than ever before, though the average
of corn and cotton has not been decreased
but much of the land heretofore lying idle
was utilized this season AID the result is a
good supply of that excellent food for man
or beast, known as rye. Equal parts of
rye and corn meal for bread among the
laboring classes cannot be eXcelled, and
for batter cakes it is equal to the famous
buckwheat cakes.
The size of the corn and cotton plants
are not as great as | have seen at this sea-
son of the year, but crops were never in
better condition nor cultivated cheaper
| than they have been this season. Crops
| have been mainly cultivated with plows
We were told by several excellent farmers
| that the hiring had not cost half as much
| for this crop as heretofore. We were
| pleased to see many fine plots of rice
| where the crops were drowned out last
| year If rice mills were convenient much
| of this valuable crop would be raised here
| on lands unfit for other crops. Taken all
| together the present crop prospect was
| never better, nor raised with less expense
| Industry and economy have been the
| watch words among that class of farmers
who intend to succeed whether or no, but
there is another class here less provident,
who unfortunately purchase their credit
with liens, pull up hill during the Summer
months and slide down in the Fall
Much interest is felt here now in the
outcome of a Texas game known as ''The
| Farmers Alliance" to be formed in Town
| ship Clubs, and thus county alliance is
| to be formed, which has for its object the
| improvement and protection of the farm
| er. Sublime object, as the agricultural
| interest underlies all others, but the farm
ers will never succeed by antagonizing
| other important interests and professions.
To be sure merchants and lawyers are ex-
cluded from the sacred halls of the alli-
ance, as well as the doctors who are for
tunate enough to have drug stores. Sup
pose the merchants, druggists and capital
lists generally form an alliance, and the
| laborers form an alliance, and the law
yers form an alliance, all antagonistic to
each other. The happy ones or the sharp
ers whose lot it is to go from place to place
and form alliances, charge a snug little
initiation fee Of seventy-five cents or
dollar each, not much you know, but half
of all this goes to the organizer and ena-
bles him to hire a livery stable turn out,
and next day organize another alliance of
from fifty to a hundred members, and
pocket twenty five or fifty dollars just for
an idea and hope. What a sacrifice. Yet
the farmers are able to feed him and he
just boards among the scholars so to speak.
Now we candidly believe every farmer
ought to belong to farmers club and
every township ought to have club, and
every county ought to have an association
of clubs, and every State ought to have
an association of farmers and mechanics
as they have IN South Carolina, but we
gravely doubt the proprety of antagoniz-
ing any other interest. Friends are what
the farmers need and not antagonists In
dependence will make the farmers friend
ship necessary to all other business, and
Independence can only be achieved by con-
stant application to business, and the
practice of the strictest rules of economy.
The farmer who starts out on the morn
ing of January 1st with the intention OF
making as near as possible the entire needs
of his farm, and of not spending single
day in idleness, nor spending single
cent, nor Obligates to pay single cent
that he can avoid, may hope to succeed
and if he adheres to his business as closely
as the merchants do, he will succeed ant
be as happy as either merchant or prince
for the happiest people on earth are tht
successful farmers.
But let one start out with the intention
of getting everything he can On time ant
give lien on his crop, and agree to pay
at least fifty per cent. on his purchases. l
he owns the land he cultivates and ha
: favorable seasons and no sickness, he cal
possibly pay out, but if he has to rem
land the chances are all against him, an.
he must fail and perhaps emigrate.
d. 7. II.